-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- CNN Hero Amy Stokes uses the internet to connect South African teens affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty with volunteer mentors from around the world .

Stokes is the founder of Infinite Family and spoke with CNN about the importance of her group 's efforts in South Africa -- where nearly two million children have been orphaned by AIDS .

Below are excerpts from that interview .

CNN : How does HIV/AIDS affect a South African child ?

Amy Stokes : They will talk about being very happy as children and growing up with two parents until they were grade school level . And then they 'll lose one of their parents . They will move where they can be in a community that helps support them and then they 'll lose the other parent . Then they 're moved into a home where it 's an auntie running the house -- and they 'll lose that aunt .

And then they go to live with the gogo -- or a grandmother -- and before long , they 're living with 10 other children in the same 20 square foot space . That gogo is spending all of her time just trying to feed everybody , much less being able to help them prepare for their future .

CNN : How widespread is the problem ?

Stokes : Many of these communities have lost up to 40 percent of the young adults -LSB- from HIV/AIDS -RSB- . So the children ... do n't learn the survival skills that they would have learned tagging along with an adult -- watching an adult as they work , or do grocery shopping , or cooking or any of the life skills that they need .

These children are losing , not only love and nurturing , but ... the education of having a parent attend to them .

CNN : What 's the biggest challenge these kids face ?

Stokes : They lack access to everything that would teach them what is needed to be successful . There 's no technology ; there are no computers . The kids walk into our computer labs having never touched a mouse or a keyboard before .

However , they are the most hopeful children you will ever meet . They are resilient , resourceful ; they are joyful ; they are very ambitious .

CNN : What change do you see in them as they interact with their mentors ?

If you reach out to them they will grab that lifeline and work so hard to make your investment of time and talent worth your while . They know that they are in a situation they would like to change -- their lot in life , their future -- but they struggle very hard until someone helps show them the way .

What Infinite Family does is we expand their village to include the entire world . When they get connected with their mentors , the mentors make sure that no one is ever truly alone .

Want to get involved ? Check out the Infinite Family website at http://www.infinitefamily.org and see how to help .

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CNN Hero Amy Stokes founded a non-profit to help children orphaned by AIDS

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She says the kids are resilient but just lack the equipment they need to succeed

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Mentors from around the world make sure the kids are never truly alone